Courageous mare Nimalee scored a deserving first G1 win in today’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Randwick as Inglis graduates dominated Day 2 of The Championships.
The 5YO mare Nimalee – who has now won 7 of her 22 starts with 6 minor placings - took her earnings through the $1m barrier with today’s win, as well as giving her trainer Matthew Smith his first Sydney G1 success.
Nimalee was one of five Stakes-winning Inglis graduates at Randwick on the biggest day of the autumn carnival, while Easter filly My Whisper also scored her first Group win in Adelaide.
But it was Nimalee who stole the show, defeating some of the best fillies and mares in the country when sprinting off a solid speed to secure a maiden G1 win.
She becomes the third Inglis graduate to win the Queen Of The Turf in the past four years following earlier successes by Nettoyer (2021) and Kenedna (2019).
Nimalee (pictured) is raced by Lester and Margaret Durney of Letmar Investments, who used the services of Randwick Bloodstock’s Brett Howard to buy Nimalee for $270,000 at the 2018 Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Millford Thoroughbreds.
“Lester does his short list and asked me to look at them and I went back to him and said ‘this is the one’ so he’s bought her and today she’s won a Group 1 so it’s fantastic,’’ Howard said.
“Full credit to Matt Smith, she’d been set for this race for quite some time so to get the result against some outstanding fillies and mares is a fabulous achievement.’’
An ecstatic Smith added: “It doesn’t get any better.
“She ran well at Newcastle last start but we knew she probably wasn’t quite 100% ready that day just in terms of fitness but her gallop on Tuesday morning really put the writing on the wall, it was a really strong gallop at Warwick Farm, she pulled up super so we were coming here with some confidence.
“That said, these are the best fillies and mares in the country so it was always going to be hard to win.’’
The Cressfield-bred Nimalee (So You Think) becomes the 69th Group 1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018.
She was also one of three G1 winners for her sire So You Think at Randwick today, a fabulous achievement for the Coolmore stallion.
Also at Randwick today, a pair of impressive 2YOs dominated their Stakes races, Mazu put his hand up for an Everest slot and Bella Nipotina returned to the winners’ stall on a huge day for Inglis graduates and clients.
2YOs Williamsburg and Paris Dior were both rewarded for bypassing the Golden Slipper with strong wins.
Regally-bred Williamsburg (Snitzel x Fenway) made it back-to-back Stakes wins with a resounding victory in the Listed Fernhill Mile.
The win – his third from five starts – came a fortnight after securing black type in the G3 Baillieu Quality at Rosehill.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Williamsburg is a $470,000 Easter Sale buy for Tony Fung Investments from the draft of Arrowfield, who bred the colt along with GSA Bloodstock.
Fung backed up at this week’s Easter Sale and paid $180,000 for Williamsburg’s sister, again offered by Arrowfield.
And Paris Dior scored a valuable first Stakes success with victory in the $1m G2 Percy Sykes Stakes.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained youngster was having her first run since finishing second in the $2m Inglis Millennium in February and off the back of just two barrier trials, proved too strong on the heavy track.
“She really deserved it. She was quite dominant early and knowing the fact we wouldn’t go to the well too many times leading into it, she came here with fresh legs and she stood up today,’’ co-trainer Paul Snowden said.
“She’s a Group 2 winner now, a little bit of the pressure’s off.’’
Bred by Stephen Wilde and Bill Hilton, Paris Dior is a graduate of the Easter Yearling Sale and now has the enviable race record of 4:2.2.0 for more than $1m in earnings.
The excited ownership group of rising star Mazu (Maurice) can’t help but dream of conquering Everest following his win in today’s $1m G2 Arrowfield Sprint.
Today’s was a fifth consecutive win for the 3YO, whose owners Triple Crown bought at the Classic Yearling Sale for $180,000 from the draft of his breeder Parsons Creek.
“That feels unbelievable. He was stepping up to A-Grade today, taking on the best of the 3YOs and to do that to them, I mean that’s something pretty special,’’ Triple Crown’s Chris Ward said.
“Today was a bit of a grand final for him so we wanted to get through today and then reassess. We know we’ve got a real horse to work with now so we’ll just sit down with the Snowden’s and see what we do next.
“There’s a lot to look forward to and as I said to some of the owners just now, strap yourselves in because we’re in for one heck of a ride from here.’’
Mazu, trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, firmed onto the third line of TAB betting for The Everest at $11 following today’s win.
And Bella Nipotina (Pride of Dubai) scored a third black type success with victory in the G2 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick.
Since Andrew Williams, Mount Hallowell Stud and Lindsay Park purchased Bella Nipotina for $80,000 out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2019 Premier Yearling Sale, she has earned almost $1.7m.
Bella Nipotina is part-owned by her breeder Michael Christian.
In Adelaide, talented filly My Whisper (Frankel) made it four wins from five starts when scoring a near last-to-first victory in the G3 Auraria Stakes at Morphettville.
It was a first Stakes success for the Easter Sale graduate of her breeder Yulong, who firmed into a $5 equal favourite for the G1 Australasian Oaks at the same track in three weeks.
My Whisper is trained by Peter and Paul Snowden.
